Samphire Neuroscience - a drug-free solution addressing PMS/PMDD & menstrual pain!
Emile Radyté, co-founder and CEO of Samphire Neuroscience, was surprised to discover that many mental health concerns affecting women's cyclical health with high prevalence, had minimal funding and research dedicated to finding solutions. As a neuropsychiatry researcher, she founded Samphire Neuroscience to address these issues. Since then, the team has developed the first neurotechnology-based medical therapeutic for PMS/PMDD and menstrual pain, while gathering a passionate community of women. They are actively building clinical connections to collaborate with users' doctors and seek reimbursement, ensuring accessibility to their product, for all.
About Samphire Neuroscience
Samphire Neuroscience aims to change the narrative around women’s mental health. With their neurotechnology-based medical therapeutic, with the Samphire Headband, they are addressing some of the most prevalent yet underfunded mental health concerns related to women’s cyclical health. By stimulating specific parts of the brain, the Headband provides drug-free relief for PMS/PMDD and menstrual pain.
In 2023, cognitive and mental PMS symptoms are still being experienced by at least 1 in 2 women of reproductive age, while 1 in 5 women giving birth experiences postnatal/postpartum depression. Emile and her team made it their mission to change these statistics by bringing women's mental health to the forefront and developing solutions to improve women’s quality of life.
Although perimenopausal depression is now being considered as a mental health concern, Emile’s purpose is to demonstrate that women’s mental health matters by building state-of-the-art modern solutions. She aims to challenge the status quo and move away from outdated approaches to mental health that were prevalent ten years ago.
Samphire Headband - a drug-free solution
Today, women need a drug-free solution that effectively addresses PMS/PMDD and menstrual pain, and Samphire Neuroscience has built it!
Why a Headband? Because it seamlessly fits into women's lives as it resembles other accessories that are light and portable. This makes it adaptable to sometimes hectic schedules.
How does it work? The headband stimulates specific parts of the brain based on validated technology used in the fields of depression and chronic pain treatment. By applying light electricity, it balances brain activity during PMS, resulting in a more stable mood. It also reduces sensitivity to menstrual cramp pain by stimulating another part of the brain.
At first, the team did not intend to create a neurotechnology company specifically focused on women's health. However, during early testing of their prototypes, they discovered that over 95% of women who tried their solution were willing to use it again and recommended it to others. None of these women were aware of any other medically proven alternatives for addressing PMS and menstrual pain symptoms. Thus, the team recognized the need to develop a solution. Emile summarized it perfectly, stating: "Just because no one else has solved it, it doesn't mean the problem does not exist!
The launch of the Headband is scheduled for the end of this year or early 2024 in the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. The initial batch of devices will be limited in quantity, and their early bird waitlist has recently gone live!
The industry challenges
Women’s mental health may be considered as a new industry, and Samphire Neuroscience has few predecessors in this space. However, the Femtech and medical device industries can be seen as adjacent and complementary. For Emile, the most significant challenge in the medical device industry is the time and resource-intensive R&D process, coupled with the regulatory processes. This means that product vision and execution must begin before the market is defined by users, a difficult task in an environment focused on high growth and fundraising from the start.
To overcome these challenges, Samphire Neuroscience has prioritized customer engagement. Indeed, Emile and her team have integrated customers into every aspect of the product design, user journey planning, interface design, and distribution channels.This approach has provided valuable feedback throughout their journey and allowed the team to fulfil their users-first mission.
Women’s mental health industry’s key trends
According to Emile, the next year will see an explosion in solutions for women's health beyond fertility. She explains that it's becoming increasingly apparent to the industry that women require medical solutions throughout their lifetimes that are tailored to their specific needs. As a result, more companies founded by men will enter this lucrative market. Additionally, there will be a greater push for diversity among founders and operators in the healthcare space, including those who were neglected in the past.
About joining the Tech4Eva program
“We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Tech4Eva brilliant mentors and to learn from peers about creating effective solutions for women in the 21st century. In particular, we hope to gain early exposure to diverse distribution strategies to ensure that our solution is accessible to all women who need it. Overall, the team hopes to establish long-lasting relationships with industry peers across Europe and to prepare our product for market launch later this year.”
More Info:
https://www.samphireneuro.com/
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